HC Yellow No. 5
What Is It?
HC Yellow No. 5, which refers to Hair ColorantIngredients that impart color to hair. Hair coloring preparations may be temporary, semi-permanent, permanent, or progressive, depending on the length of time the colorant affects the hair. Yellow No. 5, occurs as yellow to orange crystals or powder. HC Yellow No. 5 is used in the formulation of semi-permanent hair dyes, colors and tints
Why Is It Used?
HC Yellow No. 5 helps to impart a color to hair. The exact color obtained will depend on the other ingredients that are used in the preparation and the starting color of the hair.
Scientific Facts
HC Yellow No. 5 is used in semi-permanent hair coloring systems that are usually applied in a shampoo base and contain thickeners, alkalizers, and foam stabilizers. HC Yellow No. 5 is also used as a toner in permanent hair coloring systems where color is produced inside the hair fiberA slender, threadlike structure that forms animal or plant tissue. The color that is produced results from careful formulation of the product so that the ingredients interact in a highly controlled process.
Safety Information
The safety of HC Yellow No. 5 has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that HC Yellow No. 5 was safe as a hair dye ingredient.
CIR Safety Review:
Absorption of HC Yellow No. 5 was minimal through skin (less than 0.2%). No significant toxic effects were observed after chronic oral exposure to HC Yellow No. 5. Mild dermal irritation, but no dermal sensitization or ocular irritation was observed in laboratory tests. Results of fertility and reproductive performance, and developmental studies were negative. HC Yellow No. 5 was found to be non-mutagenic and non-cytotoxic in standard laboratory assays.
A current review of the hair dye epidemiologyEpidemiology is the branch of medicine that deals with the study of the causes, distribution, and control of disease in populations. Epidemiology studies the distribution of diseases in populations and the factors that might influence the occurrence of disease. Typically, epidemiology will explore human exposures or life styles and attempt to determine if there is a correlation between the exposure and a particular health affect. literature identified that use of direct hair dyes, while not the focus in all investigations, appears to have little evidence of an association with cancer or other adverse events. The CIR Expert Panel recognized that hair dye epidemiology studies do not address the safety of individual hair dyes. Based on the available safety test data on HC Yellow No. 5, the CIR Expert Panel determined that this ingredient would not likely have carcinogenic potential as used in hair dyes.
More information about the safety of hair dyes.
HC Yellow No. 5 is not permitted for use in hair dye products in the European Union (see Annex II).
Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/co0013_en.htm
More Scientific Information
HC Yellow No. 5 is a direct hair dye also known as 2-[(2-amino-4-nitrophenyl) amino] ethanol. Hair dyeing formulations belong to three categories – temporary, semi-permanent and permanent coloring of hair. Temporary coloring preparations, often called color rinses, provide color which lasts until the first shampooing. Ingredients which impart temporary color may have a fairly high molecular weight and are unable to penetrate the hair shaft. These materials are simply deposited onto the hair fiber and are removed by subsequent shampooing. Semi-permanent coloring preparations generally provide color through several shampooings. These materials are often low molecular weight pre-formed dyes which can penetrate the hair shaft to some extent.
Resources
The FDA’s factsheet on Hair Dye Products http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformati…
Search the FDA Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm
EU Cosmetic Ingredients Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/